Fresh from the desk: Beaded bookmarks

I'd like to be up and about, but since I sat down it's required that I hold a cat.  I've been gone a lot, so I may as well indulge him and write while I sit, right?

These are actually an older project that Mom and I worked on while she was making ornament covers and we had leftover lampwork or Millefiori beads to use up.  They're quick and easy to make and because of the beads I have left over from various projects, each one is unique.  They're listed for sale at Etsy now as well, and I can certainly work with any color requests.  They vary in length from 10"-14" long and most of them are on a dyed strip of leather, but some are on a string of lightweight white hemp.  I just clamped a loop tip to each end, attached a few links of chain, chose a large bead for the focal point, then added other smaller complementary beads.  I think they're adorable and they sold pretty well at my latest Saturday show.  I have one that I use for my books and Mom used to use one before she got her Kindle.  For these, I tried not to use fancy beads or my natural stones since I wanted to keep the cost down.  I wanted them to be cute little impulse buys, and it's slowly starting to work that way.  Occasionally I'll find a package of lampwork beads on clearance that I just can't resist, and inevitably a few of them end up on bookmarks.

Occasionally I'll decide on a theme for one.  For example, the one on the far left in the picture is slightly patriotic, with red, white, blue, and silver stars.  It's possible to make these without a focal point bead, but what's the fun in that?  Lampwork and Millefiori beads are way too much fun to ignore!  Actually, I should work with them more.  That's an idea!

Fresh from the desk: Playing with hemp

Concert week always wipes me out.  Period.  It might be easier if I didn't have to drive an hour to get to rehearsals and such, but I wouldn't want to stop playing and I'm used to it, but I need to forgive myself for getting nothing else done those weeks.

So, with that said, welcome back!  Yesterday I got started on rebuilding my inventory after the last sale and at the suggestion of a friend I decided to try some hemp with simple macrame knots.  I may try more complicated macrame at some point, but not today.  I wasn't sure what to do with the large green aventurine donut pendant, but a fiber necklace seemed to be just the right approach.  It's a large statement stone, but "felt" more like an informal one.  After reading a bit about the stone and its traditional ties to creativity, stress relief, luck, and healing, my intuition there was confirmed.  It's perfectly at home on a string of hemp between wooden and carved soapstone beads and looks great with a t-shirt.  I attached the donut with a lark's head knot in the center of the two strands and tied an overhand knot between each bead to keep it all secure.  I did the same (minus the lark's head knot) with the little turtle that I found at our Earth Goods store in town.  We've been going to that store more and more lately and I enjoy supporting local businesses the only way I can.  On each side of the turtle is a bone disc bead, silver spacers, and round pink and black leopard jasper beads.  Because of the size of the holes, one hemp strand has to go around each of the jasper and bone beads, but I like the effect.  Both necklaces are about 24" long and can be tied to any length the wearer desires.  Fiber is a great way to expand my metal-free capabilities so I should experiment with it more.  I bet my cousin would like the little turtle...hehe!

I also made an anklet for myself just for fun.  I haven't had an anklet in a while so since I needed to use up a shorter length of hemp I figured I may as well do it for myself.  I normally don't make jewelry for myself; I tend to keep the "duds" and try to sell the good designs so I have very little of my own to wear.  Maybe I should get over that, I might be my own best billboard so maybe I should try.  This isn't a great picture, it's too dark and not staged at all and you can see the beads better in the other picture, but I like it. :)  I used 4 wood beads and 3 soapstone beads, the center one being a dark-ish pink and the sides being a pale green.  They came in the same package so they're carved the same but there's a good amount of color variation between beads so it keeps things interesting. 

I might be able to get one more necklace out of that package of hemp, but I'm not sure what else to do with it.  Most of my other beads that would work on it are too small to fit on it, even if I improvise like I did with the jasper.  I do have another wooden donut I could use.  Maybe I should work on something else for a bit, or maybe take it easy for the rest of the evening.  I'm getting a little sleepy.

According to Niche magazine online, the 2011 color of the year is honeysuckle.  It's not a color I would wear, ever, because it would simply look horrid on me in all kinds of ways, but if I were to try to use it what should I do with it?  What kind of beads should I look for?

*Edit 5/11/11* The aventurine hemp necklace is now available on Etsy for $15!

Fresh from the desk: Everyday layering necklaces

Do you like them?  My boyfriend's mom wanted one like this, in all silver (like the one on the far left) and after doing that and getting set up for the day at The White Elephant tomorrow, I thought these would be a cute way to boost my impulse buys as well as use up some beads that were sitting around.

From the left, since the colors are a little weird on my phone camera, they are: Silver/silver, white/pink, white/gold, brown/gold, white/blue, purple/pink, green/ble, pink/green, pink/red, teal/matte white, matte blue-ish/yellow.

I'll end up wearing one tomorrow to demonstrate and I think the matte blue-ish/yellow one is my favorite, but what do you think?  Those bugle beads are a wonderful color, they're a little iridescent blue/purple but the matte finish gives them a very unique look that I thought would be nicely offset by the pale pearly yellow of the seed beads. 

The silver/silver, brown/gold (which is also the colors for University of Wyoming where I got my undergrad...didn't realize that until halfway through hehe), and white/gold are meant to be neutrals, with the white/pink, pink/green, and blue/yellow a step above that, with the green/blue, purple/pink, and teal/white being more showy.  They're 15 inches long with a 2 inch extender chain and spring clasp, made quickly using surplus beads so I can offer them at $10 each (or less, if someone wants more than one) without hurting at all.  How would you wear them?  Would you do wear one at a time or a few in complementary colors?  What other color combinations would you want?  Maybe I'll wear three to show the possibilities.  Hmmm.  I should go make sure all my display stuff is packed and signs are correct, need to get to bed so I can get up bright and early!

*Edit 5/11/11* These are now available on Etsy for $10 each!